Apparatus for measuring thread



APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD Filed Feb. 2, 3.956

3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: WOLFGANG GOLLOS ATT'Y S Sept 233 195% FiledFeb. 2 1.956

W. @OLLQfi APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD mswa INVENTOR.

WOLFGANG GOLLOS ATT'YS APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD Sept 23 Filed Feb.2, 1956 3 Sheets-Shem FIG? INVENTOR.

WOLFGANG GOLLOS ATT'YS United States Patent ()fiice 2,852,848 PatentedSept. 23, 1958 APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD Wolfgang Gollos,Kelsterbach, Germany, assignor to Verienigte Glanzstoti-Fabrilren A. G.,Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany This invention relates to apparatusemployed in thread winding machines for producing a predetermined lengthof thread.

Industries engaged in weaving or the like, for obvious economic reasons,require spooled thread' of uniform length. Attempts have been made tosupply this need for uniformity by various methods. Some of thesemethods employ as an index of the length of thread wound the number ofrevolutions of the winding bobbin, the diameter of the winding bobbin,or the weight of the Winding bobbin. These methods have the disadvantagethat they are adversely afiected by variations in the thread diameter orthe thread weight which may occur as'a result of moisture which causesthe threads to swell. Errors in the thread length measurement may amountto as much as 7% where these methods are employed.

Errors due to swelling of the threads may be practically eliminated if amethod is employed in which the actual length of the passing thread ismeasured. Length measuring devices based on this method customarilyemploy a revolution counter which is drivenby the pass ing thread. Thesecounters require a considerable amount of rotary power, and with everyten revolutions, additional gears are set into motion which require additional rotary power and place increased tension on the thread. As aresult, thread breakage is a common occurrence.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a thread measuringdevice for a winding machine, which device automatically stops thewinding operation when a predetermined length of thread has beenmeasured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thread measuring devicewhich is not adversely affected by variations in the thread diameter orthread weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thread measuringdevice which is driven by the thread being measured and requires aminimum amount of driving energy from the passing thread.

In accordance with the invention these objects are accomplished by adevice having a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread,and a plurality of gears operatively associated with the pulley and witheach other. Each of the gears is coupled to rotate at an angularvelocity different from the angular velocity of any other of the gearsand has indexing means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gearas the gear is rotated. When all of the gears simultaneously attainpredetermined positions, means responsive to the indexing means of allof the gears operate an electrical circuit in which the indexing meansof each gear cooperates. The circuit may include a battery and a. relaywhich either stops the winding machine or actuates a thread breakingdevice.

The gears employed in the invention may conceivably be friction rollersof varied diameter but preferably are toothed gears. Each of the gearshas a different number of teeth which number is non-divisible bya-common 2 factor larger than 1. However, the number of teeth on eachgear should be' around the same number.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned indexingmeans may be electrical conducting means which when the predeterminedpositions of the gears. are attained cooperate in operating theelectrical circuit. In this embodiment the gears should be fabricatedfrom a non-conducting material such as nylon.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the indexing means isa light-transmitting means, and a photoelectric means is provided whichis responsive to the light-transmitting means.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which the same numbers are used throughout todesignate. like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective semi-diagrammatic view of one embodiment of. theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a more detailed perspective view of portionsof the deviceshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective detailed view of a portion of thedevice shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed elevational view of the device shown inFig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective semi-diagrammatic view of another embodiment ofthe invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective semi-diagrammatic view of another embodiment ofthe invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a pulley 1 ismounted to rotate in engagement with the thread 2 by which it is driven.The pulley may com prise a pair of calottes joined to form a wavy groovetherebetween so as to provide a better grip on the thread. The rotationof the pulley 1 by the thread. 2 drives a series of gears which areoperatively associated with. the pulley and with each other. The gearsinclude a pair of terminal gears 4 and 5 and at least one intermediategear. In the drawings three intermediate gears 6, 7, and 8 areillustrated. The terminal gear 4 is mounted on the shaft3 so as torotate with the pulley 1 and drive the successive gears 6, 7, 8, and 5.The numbers of teeth on the gear wheels are close together but notalike. Furthermore, the number of teeth on each of the gear wheels mustbe non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1. For example, thenumber of teeth on the successive gears may be 36, 37, 41, 43, and 47.Each of the gears has electrical conducting means such as a Wire orstrip of metal positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as thegear is rotated. The terminal gears 4 and 5 have radial conducting means9 and 10, each of which has a single peripheral contact point. Theintermediate gears 6, 7, and 8 have the respective chordal conductingmeans 11, 12, and13 which provide opposing, non-diametrical, peripheral,contact points. The peripheral contact points on all of the gears may bemetal caps 14 and 15 on contacting flanks of the gear teeth (Figs. 3 and4). The radial conducting means 9 and 19 of the terminal gears 4 and 5are connected to their respective rotatable shafts 3 and 16. An electriccircuit 17 including a source of electric current such. as a battery ofdry cells 18 and a relay 19, is completed with the conducting means ofthe gears by means of metal brushes 20 and 21. contacting respectivelythe metal shafts 3 and 16. When the rotating gears attain theconfiguration illustrated in Fig. 2, which is also normally the startingconfiguration, the electric circuit is completed, actuating the relay 19which may, in turn, switch off the power for the winding operation oractuate a thread breaking device.

In order to repeat this configuration after employing it as the startingconfiguration, the first gear wheel 4 must make a number of rotationsequal to the product of the numbersof teeth on the wheels 6, 7, 8, and5. Where the gears have the aforementioned number of teeth and thepulley 1 has a circumference of ten centimeters, a thread length of over300 kilometers may be measured before the electric circuit actuatingconfiguration of the gears repeats itself. By varying the number ofteeth on the gears within the limits previously specified, the length ofthread measured before actuating the electric circuit can be increasedor decreased. For instance, in the aforementioned example, by varyingthe number of teeth on the last gear having 47 teeth, the thread lengthmeasured can be varied in intervals of 6.5 kilometers each. For varyingthe length of the thread measured it is not necessary to replace thegear with the 47 teeth by one having e. g. 37 teeth. The same effectwill be obtained by advancing the gear having 47 teeth about 10 teeth(in sense of rotation) each time before beginning the measurement, whenall gears-also the above mentioned 47-tee'th-gearvhave been put inactuating configuration- The thread length measured can also be variedby increasing or decreasing the number of gears in the series.

In Fig. another embodiment of the invention is illustrated employing apair of toothed-gear trains parallel to each other. One train comprisesa driving gear 22 and a driven gear 23 drivingly engaged by the drivinggear 22. The other train comprises a driving gear 24 and a driven gear25. The driving gears 22 and 24- are mounted so as to rotate on theshaft 26 driven by the pulley 1 by means of Worm gear 27 and worm gearwheel 28. The driven gears 23 and 25 have different numbers of teeth ascompared to each other and as compared to each of the respective drivinggears 22 and 24- which may have the same or a different number of teeth.As previously specified the number of differing numbers of teeth must benon-divisible by a common factor larger than 1. Electrical conductingmeans is provided between the gears 22 and 24 such as by employing ashaft 26 of metal and by the radial conducting elements 29, 30, 31, and32 on the gears 22, 23, 24, and 25 respectively. The electrical circuit17 is completed through the metal shafts of gears 23 and 25 in thepreviously described manner. When the gears 22, 23, 24, and 25 attainthe predetermined actuating positions, the electric current flowsthrough wheels 23, 22, shaft 26 and wheels 24 and 25, actuating therelay 19 as previously described. A repetition of the actuatingconfiguration of the gears occurs only when shaft 26 has made a numberof revolutions equal to the product of the numbers of teeth on the gearwheels 23 and 25.

To increase or decrease the length of thread measured, the number ofteeth may be varied as in the previously described series arrangement.The length of thread measured may also be increased by adding additionalgear wheels to either or both of the parallel trains or by adding anadditional train of gears. The latter is illustrated in Fig. 7 where athird train of gears has been added including a drive gear 33 and adriven gear 34. With this arrangement an additional embodiment of theinvention is obtained in which electrical conductors on the gears aredispensed with. Instead, light-transmitting means such as holes 35, 36,and 37, are provided in the driven gears 34, 25, and 23 respectively.The remaining surface of these gears is opaque so that when the drivengears simultaneously attain predetermined positions a beam of light fromthe light source 38 passes through the holes 35, 36, and 37, andactuates a photoelectric cell 39 in the electrical circuit 17, producingthe same result as that obtained in the previous embodiments.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 in which acluster of gears is employed. The central gear 443 serves as a drivinggear, being driven by the pulley 1 which is not shown in the drawing.Alternately spaced pairs of opposed driven gears 41 and 42 and 43 and 44surround the central gear 4i) and are driven thereby. The dirven gears41, 42, 43, and 44 have radial conducting means 45, 46, 47, and 48,respectively, each of which has a single peripheral contact point. Theconducting means on the central driving gear 40 comprises separateconductors 49 and Stl each of which has a pair of opposingnon-diametrical contact points. As previously specified, all of the gearwheels must have different numbers of teeth, which numbers are notdivisible by a common factor larger than 1. When the actuatingconfiguration of the gears is attained, the electric current from thecircuit 17 flows through gear wheels 44, 40, 43, a conductor 51 and gearwheels 41, 40, and 42, to actuate the relay 19 in the previouslydescribed manner. The advantage of this embodiment lies in theinstallation of the mechanism in a relatively small housing.

By the employment of the invention, exact predetermined lengths ofthread are obtained regardless of variations in thread diameter orthread weight, and where the gear Wheels are fabricated of a lightmaterial such as nylon and seated on practically frictionless points, anextremely small amount of driving energy is required from the passingthread being measured. The latter feature is particularly advantageousin that accidental thread breakage may be reduced to a minimum.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a plurality of gears operatively associatedwith the pulley and with each other, each of said gears being coupled torotate at an angular velocity different from the angular velocity of anyother of the gears, each of said gears having indexing means positionedto revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, and meansresponsive to the simultaneous positioning of all of said gears withtheir respective indexing means in their respective indexing positionsfor operating the electrical circuit whereby the indexing means of eachgear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

2. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a plurality of toothed gears operativelyassociated with the pulley and with each other, said gears havingdifferent numbers of teeth, said numbers being non-divisible by a commonfactor larger than 1, each of said gears having indexing meanspositioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear isrotated, and means responsive to the simultaneous positioning of all ofsaid gears with their respective indexing means in their respectiveindexing positions for operating the electrical circuit whereby theindexing means of each gear cooperates in operating the electricalcircuit.

3. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a plurality of toothed gears operativelyassociated with the pulley and with each other, said gears havingdifferent numbers of teeth, said numbers being non-divisible by a commonfactor larger than 1, each of the gears having electrical conductingmeans positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear isrotated, and means responsive to said conducting means of all of thegears for operating the electrical circuit when all of the gearssimultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby said conductingmeans of each gear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

4. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a series of toothed gears including a pairof terminal gears and at least one intermediate gear operativelyassociated with the pulley and with each other, said gears havingdifferent numbers of teeth, said numhas being nondivisible by a commonfactor larger than 1, each of the gears having electrical conductingmeans positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear isrotated, the conducting means of the terminal gears having a singleperipheral contact point and the conducting means of said intermediategear having a pair of opposing non-diametrical contact points, and meansresponsive to the conducting means of all of the gears for operating theelectrical circuit when all of the gears simultaneously attainpredetermined positions whereby the conducting means of each gearcooperates at the contact points in operating the electrical circuit.

5. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a pair of toothed-gear trains parallel toeach other, each of said trains including a driving gear drivinglyengaged by said pulley and a driven gear drivingly engaged by saiddriving gear, the driven gears having different numbers of teeth ascompared to each other and as compared to said driving gear, saidnumbers being non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1, electricalconducting means associated with each gear and between the drivinggears, and means responsive to said conducting means of all of the gearsfor operating the electrical circuit when all of the gearssimultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby the conductingmeans of each gear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

6. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a plurality of toothed-gear trains parallelto each other, each of said trains including a driving gear drivinglyengaged by said pulley and a driven gear drivingly engaged by saiddriving gear, the driven gears having different numbers of teeth ascompared to each other and as compared to said driving gear, saidnumbers being non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1, each ofsaid driven gears being provided with a single lighttransmitting meanspositioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear isrotated, and photoelectric means responsive to the light-transmittingmeans of all of said driven gears for operating the electrical circuitwhen all of said driven gears simultaneously attain predeterminedpositions whereby the light-transmitting means on each of said drivengears cooperates in actuating the electrical circuit.

7. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and foroperating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate inengagement with the thread, a cluster of toothed gears including acentral driving gear drivingly engaged by said pulley and twoalternately spaced pairs of opposed driven gears drivingly engaged bysaid driving gear, all of the gears having different numbers of teeth,said numbers being nondivisible by a common factor larger than 1, eachof the gears having electrical conducting means positioned to revolvearound the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, the conducting meansof each of said driven gears having a single peripheral contact point,and the conducting means of said driving gear including two conductors,each of the conductors having a pair of opposing peripheralnon-diametrical contact points, and means responsive to the conductingmeans of all of the gears for operating the electrical circuit when allof the gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby theconducting means of each gear cooperates at the contact points inoperating the electrical circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

